Warning issued after cow hugging videos emerge

The Peak District National Park Authority has warned against getting close to cows in open fields after videos emerged online of people hugging the animals.

Reels - short form vertical videos - have been posted on social media networks, and amassed thousands of likes, showing people hugging highland cows in Derbyshire.

The national park authority warned people about getting too close, feeding, or taking selfies with cows.

A spokesperson for the authority added hugging cows should be avoided as it was "highly dangerous" due to the risk of being trampled, charged, or attacked, especially when cows have calves.

Stuart Cox, a walker from Derbyshire who regularly documents his hikes on his Peak District Viking social media page, said people should observe cows from a distance.

"Whilst they might look all nice and cuddly, their mood could change quite easily if you start to annoy them, or if they have calves they can be very protective and at the end of the day, they're a large animal, aren't they?

"If you're going to visit the countryside just behave appropriately.

"Observe it, walk through it, enjoy it, just leave no trace," he added.

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